NAD Introduces New High Performance Masters Series M4 Analog/Digital Tuner

NADís new M4 Tuner performs at the outer limits of radio broadcast quality while sharing the sophisticated style, innovative design and premium build quality of NADís award-winning Masters Series components. The M4 combines a highly sensitive FM/AM tuning section with the latest digital technology to extract maximum sound quality from the broadcasts it receives. This includes XM Satellite Radio as an XM Ready input on the M4 allows an external XM Satellite module to be easily connected.

The M4 is the perfect way to add radio to a Masters Series stereo or surround sound system. Whether listening to FM, AM or XM broadcasts, the M4 delivers superb interference-free reception. Its easy-to-use, transparent Auto Tuning finds all the stations available in any given area. It also features a 40-station preset memory, which allows listeners to save their favorites for fast, easy recall from either the front panel or the supplied IR remote control.

The M4ís clear display, a two-line dot matrix with RDS capability, shows information about all broadcasts from RDS-compliant channels, including station IDs and song and artist information.

The M4ís high sensitivity and high overload margins give it strong station-pulling power and clear reception. Its excellent selectivity and capture ratio allow it to crisply receive all stations on the often-crowded FM dial, even in dense urban areas. The intermediate frequency (IF) stage features three ceramic filters for low distortion and high-quality channel separation.

The M4 also features superior sound quality. A double-tuned FM detector is included for low distortion and frequency response correction for the multiplex (MPX) filter, and to improve the audio frequency response without sacrificing the filterís ability to block out the pilot tone. A Mute function eliminates inter-station tuning noise, and a Blend function reduces the noise from distant or ďfringeĒ stations by reducing high-frequency separation.

The section comes equipped with a shielded multi-stage metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) designed to handle radio frequency (RF) signals in precise 0.05-MHz increments, and also compensate for contaminated multi-path signals. Also included are a crystal controlled synthesized phase lock loop (PLL) with an IF counter for accurate VCO tuning, and a two-stage loop filter for PLL output. In addition, the oscillator-to-synthesizer stage is buffered to suppress spurious responses.

For AM broadcasts, the M4 employs a highly sensitive AM tuner. AM channels, while never able to achieve the low noise and distortion levels of FM broadcasts, sound open and dynamic, and noise levels are well suppressed.

Additional features include audiophile-quality TI/Burr-Brown digital-to-analog converters, T/I Burr-Brown operational amps, and separate power supplies for the digital control and audio stages. An IR input on the rear panel for interfacing with external IR sensors, an RS-232 port, and a 12-Volt trigger all allow the M4 to be fully integrated with advanced automated control systems, including models certified by Crestron and AMX.

The M4 Analog/Digital Tuner is available now for a suggested price of $1,299 (U.S. MSRP). It can be seen with other outstanding NAD products in NADís Suite at the Hard Rock Hotel, during CES.